From Dawn to Dusk
by Gothic Rose
Summary: The story of Voldemort's daughter following her graduation from Hogwarts... based loosely on Role Play-related events. RR would be appreciated! Chapter 7 Added!
1. Into The Night

**Authors Note and Dislcaimer:** I don't own JK Rowling. I don't own Hogwarts. I don't own Voldemort (though I wish I did) and I don't own most other things that are contained in the Harry Potter book series except my own personal copies of books 1 through 5. ; However, I do own many of the characters included in this fic...including Antony and Malanda. The Îmblânzitor de Serpis (aka the "Snake Charmers") were all my idea. Some of this story is based on "actual events" that took place in the course of roleplaying the character of Malanda Riddle. Sorry if this first chapter is a little short...it's only the beginning of great things to come, I hope. And don't forget that reviews _will_ make me write faster!  
  
Also please keep in mind that the title is only a _working title_. It's not like official or anything...it's just what I'm using in the mean time to keep me going, mmkay? Mmmkay.

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From Dawn to Dusk**  
**Chapter 1 :** Into the Night  
  
Deep in the heart of Romania, a still silence had filled the night. The moon rose high over a thick wood, illuminating the ground below. Between the trees were five persons, two female, three male, who waited silently as a small breeze flitted around them. It was nearing midnight when one of the men – a tall, dark-haired figure – pulled out an old golden pocket watch, flicking it open and studying the numbers carefully before whispering to the others in his group.  
  
"It's nearly time." His voice was thick with a natural Romanian accent, which seemed almost seductive in the still of the night. The others in the group paused a moment to check their own watches, while one of the women laughed quietly, her bright green eyes cutting through the darkness like knives.  
  
"Antony, darling, why must we wait?" Her own accent was thick as well, and almost playful as she slid her arms around the waist of the man who had been first to speak. Antony merely shook his head, though, as he touched the girl's cheek.  
  
"Because they will not be where we need them until midnight, _mei amant_. Be patient." The girl turned away, her playful laughter once again dusting the silence of the woods.  
  
"If I must, I suppose..." She leaned against a nearby tree, studying her nails carefully. The other three members of the group, meanwhile, sat near a tree stump, a candle in the center of it glittering cheerfully as they played poker with a beaten deck of cards to pass the time. It wasn't long, however, before Antony checked his pocket watch again, nodding to the others. "Lets go."  
  
In a silent flurry, the deck of cards was packed up, the candle snuffed out, and the group was on the move. Antony led the way, with the other two men close behind him and the girls covering the back. Wands out, they prepared themselves for what was to come- be it death or victory.  
  
The five were all members of the_ Îmblânzitor de Serpis_, a group known to the English speaking world as the "Snake Charmers", and to all as the most powerful wizards in all of Romania – and in some cases, the world. Each and every one of the Snake Charmers was capable of killing hoards of people with one flick of a wand; some were Death Eaters for the dark lord Voldemort, some were Aurors for various European Ministries of Magic. Either way, missions like these were a daily occurrence, for the _Îmblânzitors_ were known across Europe as some of the best hit-men (and –women) worldwide.  
  
Tonight their trip was cut short, however, as Antony stopped dead in his tracks while making a path through the woods. A small, wooden cabin lie in a clearing before him, and it was obvious by his expression that this was where they had intended to go. However, instead of having innocent lives to take, the people they'd waited all night to murder were already dead, the eight of them hanging by their necks from an overhanging portion of the roof of the cabin.  
  
The other Îmblânzitors were completely shocked, but Antony merely stepped forward, examining each body carefully. Not only had someone taken the time to kill the eight persons before he and his companions could, but they had done a damn good job of it; everything down to the way the ropes that hung the bodies were tied was perfectly flawless, and he knew only one person that could have carried things off in that manner – especially by themselves, and not with three or four others to help.  
  
"So, Miss Riddle. We meet again." Antony's four comrades whispered to each other, all of them bewildered and confused. Antony, however, stepped onto the porch of the cabin to survey the bodies from behind. For a very long moment the only noise in the forest was Antony's footsteps against the wooden porch, and the quiet creaking of the hanging ropes as they swung back and forth. Soon, however, a young woman's voice could be heard drifting down to the Snake Charmers from seemingly nowhere.  
  
"A shame you had to have four people to back you up on this one, Antony. You're nearly nine years my senior and I managed to take them all out single handedly..."  
  
Antony grinned, stepping out from under the porch and glancing around for the source of the voice. "Yeah, well. Some of us take more risks than others..."  
  
Suddenly, a dark figure dropped from the roof of the porch onto the ground directly in front of Antony, crouching close to the ground a moment before standing up straight. The figure revealed itself to be a dark haired girl of seventeen, her blue eyes dancing mischievously as she smirked at Antony through the darkness. She was clothed much like the female Snake Charmers who had accompanied Antony- tight fitting black pants with a miniature petticoat over top, and a black corset over a loose black blouse; all of which was shadowed behind a thick black cloak, which seemed to help her fade into the shadow of the night.  
  
The girl carefully circled Antony for a moment, a playful smirk adorning her lips. "A pleasure seeing you again, at the least." She stopped abruptly as Antony's hand shot out from beneath his own robes, grabbing the girl tightly by the arm and turning her towards him, where he faced her with a somewhat smug smile.  
  
"So you decided to come back for the summer after all, then, Malanda."  
  
"Not just for the summer..." She snapped her arm out of Antony's grip, before grinning wickedly and sliding her arms around his neck, whispering in his ear. "_Forever_."  
  
"Excellent..." he responded with his own whisper, pulling Malanda towards him tightly with a grin of his own. "How you been, kiddo?"  
  
She smiled almost bemusedly as she ran a hand through Antony's short black hair, gazing up at him. "Wonderful, for the most part. These last few weeks've been hell though, I've just wanted to be back home..."  
  
"Well! You are now." Antony kissed Malanda on the forehead before turning back to the others, arm still around Malanda's waist. "Now... apparently this is taken care of, so we've got time to spare. Anyone up for a drink at the Black Halo?"  
  
"You can count me in! C'mon, James, help me with the bodies..." one of the women responded. She and one of the men started towards the dangling corpses and started to take them down while the others started back down the path, talking amongst themselves. Malanda and Antony walked together at the back of the group, Antony not once taking his arm off of Malanda's waist.  
  
"It's good to have you back, kiddo." He smiled down at her a moment as they walked, and Malanda glanced up at him for a moment as well, a small and almost mischievous smile dancing across her lips.  
  
"It's good to be home." 


	2. Inside the Halo

**Authors Note:** I own all the Aurors and folk dining with Malanda and Antony. Yeah. XD And for the record, I created the Îmblânzitor de Serpis by myself. No one helped. The group is mainly for use in Role Playing, mainly by myself and the guy who plays Moros Blackspell. Hi Moros! XD Anyway, I own them. xD If you'd like more information on the group, let me know.  
  
I should also warn you that this chapter is where you start to see why this has a PG13 rating... bad language and sexual connotations AHOY!

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**From Dawn to Dusk  
Chapter 2 :** Inside the Halo  
  
It wasn't long before the group was crowded into a private booth at the back of the Black Halo, a dimly lit pub on the outskirts of Craiova. A few others had joined the five, bringing the total number up to nine as they sipped their drinks, catching up on what had been missed since they'd last spoken to each other. In the middle of the circular booth sat Antony, with his arm tight around Malanda's shoulder, almost protectively. The others sat to either side of the pair; the three Aurors of the group sat together on one side of the booth and the other four sat to the other side of Antony and Malanda – who was clearly the center of attention for the evening.  
  
A waitress soon came by to refill the drinks, and the young woman who had been flirting with Antony in the woods spoke up as Malanda's flask was being refilled. "So, Malanda..." she began, surveying the girl over in a somewhat skeptical manner. "What made you decide to come back instead of tramping around with your little school friends back in England?" The woman was dark haired like the rest of them with her own thick Romanian accent, and her green eyes flickered with every word she said, as if to convey her emotions more clearly than through her words, though it was clear as she spoke that she shared a certain distaste for Malanda – both in her eyes and her speaking.   
  
"Oh, that's simple," Malanda replied, a devilish smirk upon her lips. "You see, Rebekka, I'd just taken to missing Antony so much..." She turned to the side, kissing Antony's neck a few times as he grinned smugly. "That I_ had_ to come back and see him! After all, I didn't want any other girls fawning over him while I was gone..." She snuggled up to Antony a bit, her smirk growing as she spoke, and one hand wandering up to caress Antony's shoulder and neck while she focused her attention and spite on Rebekka. "After all, surely _you_ know what it's like to have other girls all over your lover! It's not fun, is it?" 

Rebekka's eyes narrowed, though the other Snake Charmers at the table merely laughed or 'Ooooh'ed at what Malanda had said. "You immature little bitch..."   
  
Malanda's response was merely a playful grin as she pulled away from Antony slightly so that she was sitting no closer to him than the person on his other side, though his arm was still around her shoulders. "No worries, Rebekka. I'm not trying to steal your man or anything- " She paused abruptly, as if something had just occurred to her. "Oh, wait, I'm sorry, last I checked Antony wasn't '_your man'_ anyway! Do forgive me..." Everyone at the table laughed, including Antony, as Rebekka glared daggers at Malanda, outraged.   
  
"Well he's not yours either!"   
  
"I don't know, Bekka..." Antony finally interjected. "She's damn near close to having me... closer than you will be, anyway."   
  
Rebekka, beat, continued to glare at Malanda, eyes narrowed. "I could turn you into the British ministry...Oh, wouldn't they be excited... Lord Voldemort's daughter captured at last. And imagine! Her, the murderer of eight _innocent_ people..."   
  
Malanda rolled her eyes. "Don't waste your breath, Rebekka, they'd be more interested in knowing that one of their top Aurors has been corrupted than knowing that someone they're convinced has changed her ways has gone back over to the dark arts."   
  
A tall man beside Rebekka's eyes widened as soon as Malanda mentioned telling the ministry about Rebekka's actions. "You can't do that."   
  
"Oh?" Malanda seemed slightly amused. "Why not?"   
  
"Because! If they know about one of us, they know about all of us, and that's not fair. I'd get in trouble too! So would Josef and Ilse..." The couple sitting beside Marc nodded in agreement.   
  
Malanda, however, giggled, as if the situation was merely a game. "Oh come on, guys. You think I'd do that to you? Besides, it's a part of the pact – you don't snitch on anyone." She rolled her eyes. "I may be only seventeen, but I'm not stupid. Head Girl of Hogwarts? Top marks in every subject? Does that mean _nothing_ anymore?" She sighed somewhat overdramatically.   
  
"Yeah, yeah. She carries a point, guys, calm down." Another young man spoke up from the other side of the booth, his hair a light blonde- a strong contrast against the other, dark haired Romanians, except for his sister Ilse, who sat with the Aurors on the other side of the table and had her own long, blonde hair. "Besides, if anyone here deserves to be turned in, it's Antony, the pedophile..."   
  
"Shut it, James, or you're going to be out back with those bodies you and Hannah dragged back earlier." James gulped, and Antony snickers. "Besides, like Mal said. No one snitches...whether it be about murder or my relations with Malanda, got it?"   
  
There was a collective murmur of agreement and a shuffling of glasses as those who disagreed opted to sip their ale instead. Once the silence had passed, however, Ilse spoke up curiously, tilting her head sideways slightly and letting her straight blonde hair slip off her shoulders as she studied Malanda carefully. "How old are you now anyway, Mal?"   
  
"Seventeen, as of May." She said this without flinching before taking a sip of her drink, knowing good and well that she was in a crowd of twenty-somethings who – if they knew how old she was at all – didn't care to know about Malanda's age or detested her for it.   
  
"Seventeen? That's all?" Rebekka inquired, almost disgustedly. "My God, Antony, you _are_ a pedophile."   
  
"I said shut it!" Antony spoke loudly this time, obviously irritated by the continued remarks about him and Malanda. Rebekka shrunk back slightly with a pout, as Ilse arched an eyebrow at Malanda.   
  
"Then unless you're deceiving us, it would appear that you havn't been in Romania 24 hours before lying to someone." Ilse laughed. "Nice job, Miss Riddle. Nice job."   
  
Malanda grinned wickedly. "What can I say, I like a good ale when I can get one... plus nothing compares to Romanian alcohol." She lifted her glass in a toast fashion as if to mock the fact that she, herself, was too young to be drinking. She took a sip, but before she could put the glass back down again, Antony had turned to her, tilting his head in a careful fashion so that he could easily whisper in her ear.   
  
"I know you're having fun being your usual bitchy self and pissing off Rebekka, but could this continue at a later time?" He kissed Malanda's neck slightly before continuing. "We have a bit of catching up to do, and-"   
  
"Say no more, _mei amant_..." She whispered back, smiling. "I'm ready to go when you are."   
  
The two bid goodbye to their friends and soon were walking down a dark, dirt road which led off into the woods, where the shadow of a large mansion could be seen outlined against the full moon. Malanda kept her hands in her cloak pockets, gazing around almost idly as Antony walked beside her, his own hands folded behind his back. It wasn't long until they reached a tall, steel gate that blocked off the long path towards the mansion, and Antony leaned against it casually, watching Malanda carefully.   
  
"So you've finally graduated..." He smiled slightly as Malanda glanced up at him with a girlish grin, leaning against the gate beside him.   
  
"Yeah, and?"   
  
"You're finally an adult now. My ickle Mal-Mal, all grown up."   
  
Malanda rolled her eyes. "Oh can it, 'Tony."  
  
"Well, if it's any consolation, you're more grown up than half the other girls in the group. I mean, Bekka acts like a fourteen year old-"   
  
"Keep in mind I'm only seventeen, love."   
  
"- and Ilse's not much better. But you... you've got your head in place." He turned slightly so that his side was against the gate instead of his back, studying Malanda in an intrigued manner.   
  
"How is that?"  
  
Malanda shrugged. "I guess I've just learned from my mistakes, is all."   
  
"What mistakes?"   
  
She glanced up at him, gazing at him for a very long moment before speaking up. "I don't know."   
  
Antony was silent a moment after this, himself, before speaking up again somewhat quietly. "You're still planning on training to be an Auror, aren't you?"   
  
"Of course."   
  
"Malanda..."   
  
"What?" She glanced up into his eyes, it being obvious from her expression that she was expecting another 'You're a Riddle, you can't do that.' speech. Antony didn't say anything in response, however, but merely reached over to Malanda's left arm, taking it gently and sliding the sleeve up to reveal a very prominent tattoo of a snake emerging from a skull – the Death Eaters' Dark Mark. Malanda looked it over a moment before pulling her sleeve down.   
  
"So what?"   
  
"So you're one of us! You can't be an auror!"   
  
"Rebekka is."   
  
"Rebekka's a bitch."   
  
"So am I."   
  
"Malanda..."  
  
The girl sighed, turning so that she was facing Antony straight on and gazing into his eyes, her own bright blue eyes showing hints of crimson as they reflected into his.  
  
"You cannot deny I'm a bitch when I'm worse than Rebekka is, just as I can't deny that I'm a death eater while I've got this mark on my arm. But Antony, you are in no position to tell me what I can and cannot do, because try as you might, you do not hold more authority than me in this group, and I can have your ass on the ground dead in a matter of seconds, so I suggest you not fuck with me. Now, if you excuse me, good night."  
  
She turned abruptly, giving the gate a good shove. Instead of holding tight like before, it now swung open with a loud creak, allowing Malanda to start down the dirt path towards the mansion, cloak pulled tightly around her. For once, Antony didn't bother going after her, either; he merely hung back at the gate, frowning at Malanda's retreating figure as she disappeared into the darkness.


	3. Romanian Sunrise

**Authors Note:** I don't own Moros, but I _do_ own Moros' soul. So that solves that. I also don't own Bellatrix Lestrange, even though she's damn awesome.  
  
And for those of you who don't like the excessive bad language and sexual connotations...go away, please. Theres only more of it on the way. XD I mean, this IS a PG-13 story.

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From Dawn to Dusk  
Chapter 3 : **Romanian Sunrise

Morning came quickly for Malanda, who had quickly resided to her own room in Antony's mansion the night before. She had fallen asleep quickly in the large bed, and was more than thankful for the pajamas the house elves had laid out for her before she returned. Unfortunately, though, she wasn't to wake up as peacefully as she had fallen asleep.  
  
Just as the bright sunrise was starting to peek between the shutters on the window, a dark figure lowered itself from the rafters of Malanda's room so that it was suspended upside down immediately above the bed. It was hanging by its feet, and slowly reached out it's hands towards Malanda's shoulders, but froze mid-air when a pocket watch slipped from it's pocket onto Malanda's stomach.  
  
She sat up abruptly, pulling a dagger from seemingly nowhere and holding it out in front of her. "I swear, Anton-" Her eyes widened as she recognized the pale, vampiric face in front of her. "Moros?!"  
  
"Heh…er…Good morning, Mal…" Moros grinned, almost sheepishly, and did a sort of somersault as he dropped his feet down, landing with his feet on either side of Malanda. "Sleep well?"  
  
She glared at him a moment before rolling her eyes. "Have you ever heard of a _door_ ?"  
  
"Yup. But it was locked." He arched an eyebrow curiously at her. "Afraid of someone coming to get you while you were asleep?"  
  
Malanda grumbled, carefully pulling her legs out from under Moros and sliding out of bed. "You'd do the same if you were living with Antony."  
  
"Oh, he didn't tell you?" Moros sat down fully on the bed, hanging his legs over the side. "I'm in the room just down the hall." Malanda arched an eyebrow at him as she picked up a hairbrush from the vanity, tugging it through her somewhat curly hair.  
  
"And you just _couldn't_ wait for me to wake up?"  
  
"Of course not. You would've slept all day if I let you."  
  
"Yeah, yeah." She chucked the hairbrush at him before crossing to her dresser to ruffle through her clothes. Moros, having dodged the hairbrush carefully, followed her with his eyes.  
  
"Anyway, heard you took out those eight ministry workers last night. Congratulations."  
  
"Congratulations?" She arched an eyebrow back at him as she pulled a few articles of clothing out of the dresser. "What for?"  
  
Moros shrugged. "On doing it by yourself, I guess. Getting it done… y'know… just… congratulations."  
  
"Moros, I murdered six men and two women last night of my own accord. That's nothing to be congratulated on."  
  
"Uh-huh. You know you enjoyed it."  
  
Malanda turned back to face him, a mischievous grin playing her lips. "Now I never said I didn't enjoy it, I just said it was nothing to be congratulated on." She picked up her clothes and disappeared behind a dressing screen whilst she talked. "Anyway, I wasn't going to come all the way out here and not kill some one. Plus, you know me, getting Reenie a few weeks ago really got me craving some more…"  
  
Moros chuckled. "It's hard to believe you're not a vampire some days, Mal."  
  
"Should I take that as a compliment?" She emerged from behind the screen in an outfit much like the one she had worn the night before, though she was still busy tightening the strings on the corset as she walked.  
  
"If you want, I suppose." Moros shrugged. "Either way, I _did_ come here with a purpose, you know."  
  
"Then get to it."  
  
"Your _lover _wanted me to tell you that we're all going back to the forest tonight. Apparently someone planned a meeting on account of the ministry… word is the secret's out."  
  
"What?!" Malanda glanced up, startled. "That's impossible. There's no way they could know about us…" Moros' eyes lit up.  
  
"Of course there is! With Rebekka, Ilse and the others in the ministry? They're bound to notice when a few of their aurors go missing."  
  
She shook her head. "Anyway, I'll be there. And for the record, he's not my lover."  
  
"You act like it."  
  
"Well, he's not. We just share… similar interests, is all."  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
"Is that all you came down here to tell me?"  
  
"Pretty much."  
  
Malanda just nodded. She was slightly unnerved by the fact that the ministry knew about the Snake Charmers; one of many things could happen, now, because of this. What if she was caught? She knew in her mind she was safe, but the murders from the previous night had gotten to her. If the ministry was on to them, that meant going into hiding – something most of them hated – and a lot more death than was really necessary. Malanda went through all the trouble to cover up seventeen years of dark arts just to be able to apply for a job as an auror, she wasn't about to give that up now, especially on account of someone like Rebekka.  
  
Carefully selecting a sword from a wide selection on the west wall, she tied the sheath around her waist, studying Moros carefully before speaking.  
  
"So what're today's plans?"  
  
"You know we never do anything in the daytime. Too dangerous." He arched an eyebrow at her oddly, as if sensing that Malanda was up to something. The girl shrugged, however, as she pulled on her cloak overtop her clothes.  
  
"Just checking. When'd you get here, anyway? You weren't here when I dropped by last night."  
  
"I was!" He grinned wryly. "I was just in my room. I had a lot of unpacking to do."  
  
Malanda snickered. "Uh-huh…"  
  
"What, you don't believe me?"  
  
"Nope…" She started for the door, and Moros immediately hopped off the bed, following behind.  
  
"Anyway, what is it you've got planned?"  
  
"I need to have a word with Rebekka."  
  
"A word or a duel?" In one quick motion, he was standing in front of her, nodding towards her sword. Malanda just grinned, however.  
  
"We'll see."  
  
"Oh no you won't." A familiar voice coming from behind Malanda caused her and Moros both to turn and look down the hallway, to spot Rebekka with her own sword belted around her waist. "I am _not _to blame for this. You know I'd never turn anyone in."   
  
Malanda's eyes narrowed. "You threatened to last night!"  
  
"Oh come off it…" Rebekka rolled her eyes. "Anyway, if you _must _know, the reason everyone thinks we're up to something is because of the folks that went missing last night. That's why Josef and Hannah were at the Halo… to warn us." Her eyes narrowed to meet Malanda's. "But I'm sure you were too busy hanging all over Antony to notice any proper conversation going on around you."  
  
Moros grinned at this remark, leaning forward so his head was directly next to Malanda's. "What's this? Twenty four hours and you and Antony've already hooked up?"  
  
"Moros, shut the fuck up." He went silent. Malanda took a few steps towards Rebekka. "No, I didn't catch anything. But that's because they didn't _say _anything until after I left. I would have heard if they did. And anyway, why're we meeting in the woods if they're after us? Wouldn't they think to look there?"  
  
Rebekka shrugged. "I don't know. I guess we'll just have to wait and find out."  
  
"Right…" Malanda sighed. "Anyway. Thanks for…cluing me in or whatever." She said this almost bitterly, as if she wasn't sorry at all. "So you can go on and try your luck hitting on Antony or whatever…" Rebekka glared.  
  
"For your information, I'm having lunch with Bella this afternoon."   
  
Moros chuckled. "An auror and Bellaxtrix Lestrange enjoying tea together…never thought I'd see the day."  
  
"Well, she really is a _wonderful _person…"  
  
Malanda smirked slightly. "Wonderful if you like sewer rats, I suppose."  
  
"What was that?" Rebekka glared.  
  
"Nothing, nothing at all. You go tell Bella that I said hi, alright?" Malanda smiled in mock innocence.   
  
"Hmph…maybe I will!" Rebekka cast one last glare at Malanda and Moros before turning and stomping back down the hall.  
  
"What's her problem, anyway?" Moros questioned Malanda as they continued down the hall. Malanda scowled.  
  
"I don't know. She hates me for some reason or another. She has since we first met… y'know, before I joined the Charmers? Never did figure out why."  
  
"Hmmm. Odd." Moros thought on it a moment before shrugging it off. "Anyway, I'm off for a bit, I gotta meet up with James. See you tonight?"  
  
She smiled slightly. "Yeah… I'll see you."  
  
"Take care, kiddo." Moros grinned at her a moment before heading off down the hall as well, leaving Malanda to her own thoughts as she headed for the library.


	4. Presents and Lies

**From Dawn to Dusk**  
**Chapter 4 :** Presents and Lies  
  
Malanda entered the large mansion library absorbed in her own thoughts. When had Moros had time to talk to Antony? It was still early in the day, not yet past eight in the morning – there had not been much time for anyone to carry on a conversation, except over breakfast, and Moros' being a vampire had great effect on her thought that he hadn't attended the morning meal.  
  
Either way, she had things to attend to. She had to find out how the ministry knew what they did, and what was to be done about it. After all, most ministry members were smart enough to put counter-curses on themselves for memory-alteration charms...or were they? There was only one way to find out. Crossing to one of the tall bookshelves, Malanda ran her index finger along the spines of the books, reading each title as she came to it. Which book would tell her what she needed to know? There were thousands in the library, and she knew at least one would have to have the proper information – though most of the books there were dedicated to the dark arts, there were still a few with charms that the average wizard would perform. Her focus was quickly shattered, though, as she heard Antony's voice from behind.  
  
"Looking for something?" His voice was calm, not at all alarming, but Malanda was still startled by hearing him speak. She had entered the library so full of her own mind that she had failed to notice Antony sitting before a large book, reading glasses on, at one of the tables behind her. She smiled slightly when she saw him, but rolled her eyes.  
  
"Well, I was." She nodded to his book. "What's that?"  
  
He held it up. "_Charming the Mind_ by M. F. Jigger." Malanda snickered slightly.  
  
"Precisely what I was looking for."  
  
"Looking up all possible memory charms for Ministry Members?" He smirked at her, his hazel eyes meeting hers for a few moments. Malanda wasn't smiling, though, but instead studying Antony very carefully.  
  
"Yes, actually. Moros told me about-"  
  
"About the ministry knowing about us...I know, I know. Afraid that's not the case though, kiddo."  
  
"...what?" Bewildered, Malanda slowly took a seat at the table beside him.  
  
"I had to get everyone together some how. And that's the only thing that'll ensure that everyone's present." He smiled slightly, though was somewhat unnerved by Malanda's intense glare.  
  
"You scare the living _shit_ out of me, all over a meeting?!"  
  
"The meeting's important, Mal! Really! But I had to say that, or no one would have-"  
  
"Do you _realize_ what that statement meant to me?!" She glared at him, half shouting now. "The ministry's after my ass more than they are yours. I'm one of the most dangerous women in Europe, and I can't even legally drink. If I get caught... it's the end. It's over. And I will _not _have you using that against me to get me to attend some meeting that I would have come to anyway!" Antony sighed, rising and moving behind Malanda as he massaged her shoulders gently. "Calm down, kiddo." He kissed the top of her head before continuing. "Everyone else got the same message too, alright? Don't take it personally."  
  
"Don't take it personally?" She spun around harshly, causing Antony to quickly remove his hands, but she was somewhat calmer now. "How can I not?"  
  
"Look...kiddo..." He knelt to the ground, so that his eyes were more level with hers, then took her face gently in his hands. "Just leave it be. There's too much important shit going on right now to worry about stupid things like this, alright?" He gently kissed her before watching her a moment as she sighed.  
  
"Alright..."  
  
Antony smiled, rising. "Good. Now, I've got something for you..." Malanda arched an eyebrow as he crossed the room to a large shelf, the only one in the room that wasn't stacked with centuries-old volumes of spellbooks and removed a long, slender box from behind a set of potions bottles.  
  
"What is it?" She studied him and the box carefully as he returned to the table, still somewhat irritated but quickly getting over it.  
  
"Just open it." He placed the wooden box in front of her, watching as she ran her fingers over the smooth mahogany before placing both hands on either side of the box and carefully lifting the lid.  
  
The girl let out a small gasp as she saw what was inside- sitting on a cushion of the finest purple velvet was a sleek, black wand with a very small, silver Îmblânzitor de Serpis emblem embossed at the top of the handle. Almost afraid to touch it, she carefully extended a hand into the box, letting her fingers gently grace the soft wood.  
  
"It's...it's beautiful..."  
  
Antony smiled proudly, obviously happy that she liked it. "Eleven and a half inches, ebony..."  
  
Ever so slowly, she slid her hands beneath the wood and lifted the wand out of it's case, studying it a bit more before turning to Antony. "What's the core?"  
  
His pleased smile twisted into one that was a bit more mischievous. "You tell me."  
  
Malanda's eyes immediately lit up as she looked up into his eyes. "Antony, it's _not_...there's no way..." As she spoke, she had to turn her head slightly to watch Antony as he moved behind her once more. He bent over slightly, kissing her neck once or twice before whispering into her ear.  
  
"Horn of the most protected dragon in the country..."  
  
"The Romanian Longhorn..." Malanda finished for him, in almost a whisper. She tilted her head back slightly, closing her eyes as she let him kiss her neck. "Antony, it's wonderful..."  
  
"And I'll have you know..." He began, sliding his hands down Malanda's shoulders and massaging them once more. "That is the _only_ Antony Katoracov wand to have that sort of core. I wouldn't even give my little sister one for her first year at school." He laughed slightly, and Malanda just beamed. "It's absolutely perfect...plus the horns are perfect for tough spells and the dark arts..." She sighed happily. "Oh, the things I'll be able to do, now..." Antony chuckled at this.  
  
"But aren't you already one of the most powerful women in Europe?"  
  
Malanda let a wicked smile spread slowly across her face as she glanced down at the wand and placed it gingerly back in the box. "_One_ of the most. I'm not stopping until I'm _The_ most powerful, Antony."  
  
"That's my girl..." He moved so that he was beside her, leaning down slightly and stealing a kiss. Little did he know, however, that someone was standing in the doorway in a most irritated mood, watching his every move. 


	5. Tornado

**Author's Note:** I went a good while without one of these, didn't I? XD Anyway... these next few chapters are based loosely on a Role Play that's taking place at theslytherindormsdotcom/hprp. cough XD So a large bit of the text- mainly in future chapters and not this one- is based on Moros' reactions and posts in that particular RP... so I owe him huge credit for that! For those of you who've read the RP... this story is a bit different from the one you remember. But I hope you enjoy it... Plus, this chapter is a bit shorter than I would have liked, but eh. XD What can you do.  
  
And where have all my reviewers gone? OO;

* * *

**From Dawn To Dusk**  
**Chapter 5 :** Tornado  
  
Malanda sensed it. She knew someone was watching them, even before she glanced over Antony's shoulder to the doorway, her lips still on his. Her blue eyes locked onto a familiar pair- Moros was gazing out at her and Antony from the shadows. Malanda quickly pulled away from Antony, much to his dismay, and shoved him away.  
  
"Mal..." he protested, moving to kiss her once more. But she pushed him off irritatedly.  
  
"No, Antony." She too her new wand out of the box, sliding it in her pocket as Antony rose, glaring at her.  
  
"I spend weeks making you a one-of-a-kind gift and _this _is how you repay me?!"  
  
Back at the doorway, Moros' eyes narrowed. He continued to watch angrily, waiting for the right moment to make his entrance. Meanwhile, Malanda narrowed her own eyes on Antony.  
  
"It's not a gift, coming from you. It's nothing but bribery. I like it all the same, but..."  
  
"But what?!" Antony was yelling, now, holding his arms out to the side convictedly. "But you're ungrateful? Lying to yourself? But you're still going to act like a bitch?"  
  
That was the final straw for Moros. He stepped into the light, much to Antony's surprise, and spoke up. "Well aren't you just so cheerful today, Antony." Malanda let out a sigh of relief, despite her worry that Moros would just piss Antony off further. As predicted, the wandcrafter's reaction wasn't kind at all, instead he glared daggers at Moros with eyes laced of pure loathing.  
  
"Didn't you ever learn how to knock?" Antony took a step forward boldly. "We were having a private conversation."  
  
"No, we weren't." Malanda snapped. Though she was thankful that Moros had come to her rescue, she was still bothered by the fact that Antony now had even more of an excuse to act like a jerk.  
  
It was no secret that Antony and Moros hated each other. They would put up appearances for Malanda, but still she knew how much the two truly despised each other. They could be nice when on Îmblânzitor business, but usually they were two polar opposites swirling against each other in a deadly tornado that they pulled Malanda into the center of. She was, essentially, one of the few reasons they even associated at all, and she regretted that more than anything.  
  
There was a stiff silence that followed her short outburst. The seconds passed like hours as Moros and Antony glared into each other's eyes, each trying to intimidate the other. Malanda looked on nervously, her only comfort came as Moros gently rested his hand on the back of her neck. No one dared speak, no one dared move.  
  
And then, the girl spoke.  
  
"Antony..." she spoke up quietly at first, afraid of what might happen if she dared contradict him. "Could you just, for a minute, stop being such an asshole and-"  
  
It all happened in an instant.  
  
Malanda's words were cut off abruptly as Antony brought the black of his hand hard against her soft cheek. In a flash, Moros had Antony by the throat in midair, his eyes burning red despite his icy glare.  
  
"Don't. Lay. A _hand _on her..." Moros' voice was as cold as his stare, and he kept a firm grip on Antony's throat.  
  
Malanda shrank into the background pathetically as Antony responded. Though he was clearly having trouble breathing, he somehow managed to laugh. He did so a good, long moment, too, before speaking up in a raspy voice.  
  
"I can do whatever the hell I want, Blackspell-" If he was going to say something else, he never got the chance. Moros shoved him up against a bookshelf, unblinking.  
  
"You may be able to control everyone else, but keep your hands the hell off of Malanda." Antony laughed even more, obviously showing the more sadistic side of himself. He was a tough fighter, to, so he still managed to keep a level head despite the pain Moros was inflicting on him.  
  
"She likes me, vampire. I can do whatever. The hell. I want." Antony's wicked grin only lasted a moment, for Moros threw him down to the ground, a few of the books that Antony's back had pinned in place tumbled after him. Moros caught one of them, flipping it over and reading the title. After glaring at Antony a moment, he actually smirked.  
  
"Clearly you havn't been reading any of these books, Antony." He threw the novel at him roughly, though Antony caught it in one hand. "If you had, you'd know what happens to the lovers in the end..." After one last glare at Antony, Moros turned and disappeared.  
  
Malanda then shifted her gaze to Antony sadly, a hurtful expression about her. "Why...?" Her voice was soft with an air of innocence, but pained all the same.  
  
Antony chuckled slightly, as if he found the whole thing a joke, and held the book in his lap. "Oh, come on babe..."  
  
"You son of a bitch..." Malanda glared at him, obviously more hurt than she could begin to let on, before rising and running out after Moros. Antony rolled his eyes at her, sighing exasperatedly before he turned the book over.  
  
_"...You'd know what happens to the lovers in the end..."_  
  
Antony scowled as he read the title. It was _Romeo and Juliet. _


	6. Running Away

**From Dawn To Dusk  
Chapter 6 :** Running Away  
  
Malanda fought tears as she stormed out of the library, running at full speed towards the three flights of stairs that would take her out of the manor. She closed her eyes, letting her feet guide her and allowing her thoughts to absorb her mind. She needed to think, and suddenly she didn't care which way she ran.  
  
_Antony hit me...Moros...new wand...I trusted him...Antony..._  
  
She was clearing the first flight of stairs, now...  
  
_...have to get away...have to tell Moros..._  
  
...the second flight was in view.  
  
_...Need to learn to stand up to Antony...  
_  
She was nearly there. Her boots thunk-thunked on the stone floors and her long, dark hair fluttered behind her head. She was so close...  
  
_...show him how I really feel..._  
  
Nearly, nearly... A few steps later her feet made contact with the dew-covered grass of the courtyard. It was getting hard to see, now, what with all the thoughts that were exploding in her mind.  
  
_...can't..._  
  
She quickened her pace even more, sprinting harder across the gras...  
  
_...make any more..._  
  
...she was almost there, almost free...  
  
**_...mistakes...  
_**  
She skidded to a halt before a giant, carved stone fountain and dropped to her knees in sobs. Finally, now, she came within reach of her emotions; she could finally turn her senseless thinking into organized thought.  
  
She hated Antony so much right now, she hated herself for constantly giving in to him. She didn't like him...not like that... but that didn't matter. Antony liked to take advantage of her for his own personal gain. He did whatever possible to achieve power, and usually that included charming the female Îmblânzitors. Malanda wasn't sure where she stood with Antony on this front. She was being used and knew that, but still...  
  
With some difficulty, she reached up and gripped the edge of the stone fountain and weakly pulled herself up. She had ceased sobbing, but a waterfall of tears continued to pour down her cheeks. Kneeling there on the grass in the center of the courtyard, she stared down at her reflection in the fountain, gazing into her own eyes.  
  
She'd been through a lot that last year at Hogwarts. Once she'd finally convinced herself that Aaron, Jeth, and the others wanted nothing more to do with her, she'd become a total recluse. Sure, she'd gone out with friends now and then, but she was also one of the most anti-social Head Girls Hogwarts had ever seen. She knew in her heart, too, that that was why she clung to Antony so closely. He gave her a feeling of acceptance... of course, she'd had a short relationship with Artemis McLandre, but even that had been awkward, and she'd ended up spending most of her time with Moros anyway.  
  
But now...all of that was over. She had a new life, now, where she was appreciated. She didn't need Antony, because here in Romania, she had friends. Here she was accepted... accepted for _who she was..._  
  
With a shaking hand, she reached into the water, gently touching the hair of her reflection so that an array of ripples expanded across her face in the fountain. She watched herself for a moment, and soon a small smile crept across her lips.  
  
Her arm still shaking slightly, she lowered her left hand once more and withdrew a jewel-encrusted dagger from a sheath at her side. She gripped the hilt tightly as she lifted the blade – much stronger, now – to her neck. The girl shifted her right leg so that she was kneeling properly before the fountain, as well, to have better balance. She then took a firm grip on her hair with her right hand and drew in a deep breath.  
  
A handful of dark brown hair drifted to the ground by her feet. 


	7. Fighting Fire With Fire

**A/N : **Oh man! It's been forever since I've updated this, I know. This is just a friendly reminder to everyone that this is written largely based of an RP that was done this past summer…which we've since lost a large part of, so yeah. ;; Hopefully there'll be more of this coming soon.

****

From Dawn to Dusk  
Chapter 7 : Fighting Fire With Fire

Some time later, the young girl dropped the dagger along the edge of the fountain with a _clank_. The fistfuls of beautiful curls that had once dangled elegantly from her head now lay in dirty clumps on the ground; a reminder of the grace and beauty she'd had so long ago. But she felt more beautiful now than she ever had – she felt in control.

Lifting both palms to her forehead, she slowly combed her hands through her hair, closing her eyes as her fingertips brushed against her scalp. This was so much better – her head felt a great deal lighter, now. As she dropped her hands to her side, she smiled to herself, eyes opening slightly as the light breeze blew her now chin-length hair slightly, a few blue whisps from her dyed bangs falling before her face.

She wasn't sure what she'd noticed first the slight shadow that seemed to consume her and only her as she knelt before the fountain; the odd, almost inhuman presence that seemed to hang in the air; or the ice cold hand that gently, and so hesitantly, was rest upon her shoulder.

"…Mal?"

_Moros_. She closed her eyes again. She'd almost forgotten that he'd been there in the library with her; she was so stressed out, so afraid, so upset over this entire thing that she'd totally forgotten that she was the one who chose to follow him, not the other way around. But no, here he was…

Malanda turned her head slowly, bright blue eyes opening wide as they beamed up at him, still scared and shivering as a doe. Sure, she was feeling a great deal braver, now, but she still hadn't figured a way to express that. Instead her tearstained visage shed light on the terrible, cowardly self she really was beneath the glamour and the independence. Moros seemed to notice this, frowning as his ice-blue eyes met hers.

"Are you… okay?"

_No, no I'm not. Antony's a dirty bastard. You could have killed him, why didn't you kill him?  
_

"I'm fine." She turned away, ashamed. Moros was a vampire. _Vampire_, she reminded herself. He could do things she couldn't, like overhear thoughts. Like sense the fact that she was blatantly lying to him, blatantly lying to herself. Her freshly-cut locks swung forward slightly as she hung her head.

"No you're not." Malanda's companion crouched beside her, tipping his head forward slightly in an effort to make her eyes meet his. She avoided him, though. She wouldn't look. She would just pretend he wasn't sitting there beside her, his eyes cutting her like diamonds; like razors. She would just…

"Well, I will be. Just you wait. Come tonight, I'll take Antony's kills – again – and this time with the wand _he_ made me. How's that for payback…" She was speaking more to herself than Moros, which was made more obvious by the fact that her words were mere mumbles, hidden beneath her hair (what was left of it, anyway.) It was lucky Moros _was_ undead; no mortal being could have heard her, much less understood the words she said.

"Mal, you're not going to be okay. I mean… you might be… for awhile… but what about next time?"

"What _about_ next time?" She swung her head to face him, almost fiercely, causing the vampire to pull his hand from her shoulder. She regretted that; her expression softening slightly, but her words still laced with venom. "I'll deal with it. I'll run away, I'll sob till my eyes bleed, I don't care. Maybe I'll cut something else off; like one of Antony's limbs. Who the hell knows."

"Oh, so you're just going to let him treat you like shit?" Moros scowled at the girl. Malanda could tell he was getting frustrated; she could always tell.

"He… he doesn't treat me like shit all the time!"

"So the fact that it's only 'once in a while' makes it okay? I thought you were better than that, Mal."

What the hell did he mean by that? Malanda scowled. She hated arguing with Moros, she hated his opinions. Well, sortof, anyway. She'd never tell him how much she wished she could be like him; passionate and unbending. Instead she held her chin up a bit too high and caved under pressure and persuasion, which was never a good thing for someone who had intentions of persuading others. She just continued to hope that her enemies would never find out about her subtle weaknesses.

"Yeah, well…" She lifted a hand to brush her hair behind her ear, but it was a lost cause; the black-and-blue strands slipped down before her face again. Moros sighed in response, shifting his position so he was sitting Indian style. He watched Malanda in silence for a long time, considering her emotions slightly as he assessed the situation.

"Mal… why do you stay with him?" The girl winced. She'd hoped that Moros would drop the subject, but apparently not.

"Because it's free food, a roof over my head, and a warm bed to sleep in."

"But is being in a relationship with Antony really worth all of that?"

In one quick motion, Malanda snatched the dagger off the edge of the fountain and drove it into the ground, dangerously close to Moros' knee. "We're not _in_ a relationship!" Moros didn't even flinch.

"Then what would you call it? It sure looks that way, Mal-"

"_We're NOT!_" She shouted loud enough for anyone in the dungeons beneath the mansion to hear, almost shaking slightly. Her reddened eyes welled up with tears as she turned further away. "We're not…"

Moros rubbed his forehead, clearly agitated with Malanda's actions, but feeling at least somewhat sorry for her. "Mal…" After a moment, he gently attempted to lift her chin, forcing her to look at him. She didn't resist, but kept her eyes averted. She wouldn't let him see the shame she was feeling, now.

"…what?"

"I just… I'm worried about you. You can't let him keep doing this…"

"And why the hell not?" She glanced up again, her eyes focused dangerously on the vampire, glaring at him agitatedly.

"Look, it's your life, right?" He clenched his teeth together irritated as he stood up, turning from the girl. "Just…" He glanced back at her once, shaking his head. "Nevermind."

"Moros…" She rose, her expression softening as she did so. "Look, I'm sorry…"

"You don't have anything to be sorry for. Antony's the one who should be apologizing."

"Well, I'm sorry anyway. But I don't see why you care so much…"

"I just do, alright? I don't know why…" He turned away from her once more, aggravatedly starting away from Malanda.

"Yes you do…" She somewhat harshly grabbed him by the shoulder, turning him around to face her. The vampire continued to glance downward, however, avoiding her gaze.

"No, I don't."

"Moros…" Her voice was softer, now.

"Yes?" His light blue eyes beamed up at her through the long hair that fell before his eyes. Malanda frowned, letting their gazes meet for a moment.

"Nevermind." She scowled, removing her hand from his shoulder as she turned to go.

"Look, Mal…"

"I said nevermind."

Moros sighed somewhat exasperatedly, watching her walk away. Malanda was nearly out of the courtyard, one hand upon the stone archway that led towards the house when she heard his voice again, loud and echoing off the picturesque roof of Antony's lavish mansion.

"**I _like_ you, okay?"**

Malanda froze, not daring to turn around.


End file.
